Mob prevents inspection of election materials by lawyers at Kogi INEC office

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says a mob on Wednesday invaded its headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.

In a statement, Hale Gabriel Longpet, INEC resident electoral commissioner in Kogi, said the mob barricaded all entrances to the office in the morning and stopped members of staff of the commission from carrying out their routine duties.

“The siege also prevented attorneys representing political parties involved in the recent off-cycle governorship elections from inspecting documents/materials used in the election,” the statement reads.

“It took the intervention of the Nigerian Army to calm the situation down at the State headquarters. The security agencies have assured us they will maintain normalcy on our premises.

“We assure all parties and litigants that the Kogi State office is committed to granting unimpeded access to all materials needed to prosecute their petitions.”

The Kogi governorship election petition tribunal had ordered INEC to provide certified copies (CTC) of materials used in the conduct of the November 11 off-cycle poll in the state.

The tribunal asked the commission to provide the materials to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) within 48 hours.

The SDP and Murtala Yakubu-Ajaka, its candidate, had filed two ex-parte motions on November 19.

The materials being requested include bimodal voter accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets for Adavi, Okene, Okehi, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta, Lokoja, Kogi and Bassa LGAs of the state.

The SDP and Ajaka are challenging the victory of Usman Ododo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 polls.